Hame-tug clip.



J. J. GRBEDON.

HAME TUG CLIP.

APPLICATION FILED PEIB.28', 1910.

994,979. Patented June 13,1911.

JOHN J. GREEDON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

HAlVIE-TUG CLIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13, 1911.

Application filed February 28, 1910. :Serial No. 548,334.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. CRnnooN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hame-Tug Clips, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved tug plate used inconnecting the tugs of harness to the hames, and it has for its salientobjects to provide a construction which may be very accurately andeconomically manufactured and which will serve to hold the wearsustaining part of the clip in firm bearing with and proper relation tothat part of the hame staple to which it is attached; to provide in sucha device a construction which may be readily applied to the hame staplewhere the latter is of single piece construction and has its legspermanently seated in the hame; to provide a construction which whilemade of metal of moderate thickness is nevertheless extremely strong andis especially rigid against those stresses which would tend to twist theclip out of its position extending at right angles to the part of thehame staple embraced; to provide a construction which is extremely neatand finished in its appearance; to provide a construction which may beentirely made from sheet metal by means of dies; and in general, toprovide an improved device of the character referred to.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings showing preferredembodiments thereof.

In said drawingsFigure 1 is a View in side elevation of fragmentaryportions of a tug and hame connected by means of my improved clip;-Fig.2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and lookingdownwardly; the fragment of the tug being, however, extended at rightangles to the hame in this view; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are separated detailsof the clip proper shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, 1 designates an ordinaryharness hame, 2 the attached end of a tug, and 3 the clip as a whole.The end of the tug is, for convenient attachment to the clip, providedwith a terminal loop or cock-eye 4c in a usual manner.

Describing now more particularly the clip, 5 designates the main clipbody which is bent upon itself to form a loop portion 6 adapted toembrace the uprightpart of the hame staple, designated as a whole 7, andto form two parallel ears 8, 8 between which the end of the cock-eye isinserted and secured.

In the preferred harness construction shown in Fig. 1 the hame staple isof fourpart construction, comprising two legs 9, 9 secured in the bodyof the hame and terminating at their outer ends in eyes, a screwbolt 10extending through the two eyes and threaded into the lower one, and awearing sleeve 11 which fits upon the bolt between the legs of thestaple, and is of a length equal to the distance between said legs. Thiswearing sleeve is provided near its lower end with a radial flange 12which spaces the lower edge of the clip 3 away from the lower leg of thestaple, and said flange serves as a support or confining memberwhich'not only holds the clip up close to the upper leg of the staplebut also aids in preventing the clip from tilting with reference to thescrewbolt. The chief functions of this sleeve are to reinforce the boltand provide for distributing the wear due to the swiveling movement ofthe clip upon the bolt over the greater area and more uniformly.

The maximum width of the clip is equal to the distance between theflange 12 and the upper leg of the staple 9. The two ears 8 and 8' ofthe clip are apertured, as indicated at 13, 13, to receive a rivet 13which passes through these clips and the embraced cock-eye.

In order to hold the clip in proper relation to the bearing sleeve 11and inclosed screw bolt, a confining tongue 14: is provided, whichtongue, as best seen in Fig. 3, has one of its end portions constructedto conform to the shape of the outermost ear 8 of the clip and its innerend 15 bent at an angle to the main body, as seen clearly in Fig. 2. Theconfining tongue is interposed between the outer ear 8 and the cock-eye,and its angular end 15 extends obliquely across the space between theears in position to fit snugly against the nearer side of the confiningsleeve, thus the clip is in definite relation to the sleeve andcontained part of the staple. In order that this angular extension 15 ofthe confining tongue may have more strength and rigidity in so confiningthe clip upon the staple it is desirably made of the full width of theclip and forked at its extremity, as indicated at 16; the edges of theclip body being reduced in width, as indicated at 17, 17, so that thearms 18 of the tongue straddle the inner ear of the clip. The end marginof the tongue between the fork arms lies firmly against the inner faceof the inner ear 8 of the clip, and by reason of the oblique dispositionof the part 15 it follows that any stress brought upon the clip tendingto impart to it a vertical oscillatory movement and therefore to causethe vertical part of the staple and bearing sleeve to bear upon the part15 causes the latter to bite against the inner face of the inner ear 8of the clip, and so resist such movement practically as though the part15 was a solid bridge piece permanently attached at both its ends to theinner sides of the clip.

The parts composing the clip are obviously easily made by being struckout of sheet metal by suitable dies, and it is obvious that they can beassembled with the greatest facility. In the construction shown in Fig.1, the clip can be applied to or disconnected from the staple of thehame at any time by simply removing the screw bolt 10, or the rivet 13".

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a tug terminating in an eye, a connecting clipcomprising a main strap-like body bent upon itself to form a loopadapted to embrace a hame staple and two opposed ears between which theeye of the tug is inserted, a confining tongue fitted between one ofsaid ears and the side of the tug-eye and provided with an angularextension extending across the space between the ears, the free end ofsaid angular extension and the opposed ear of the clip being providedwith interengaging parts adapted to lock said confiningtongue againstangular movement, and a rivet extending through both ears of the clipand the interposed confining tongue and eye of the tug.

2. In combination with a tug terminating in an eye, a connecting clipcomprising a main strap-like body bent upon itself to forma loop adaptedto embrace a hame staple and two opposed ears between which the eye ofthe tug is inserted, a confining tongue fitted between one of saidearsand the side of the tug-eye and provided with an angular extensionextending obliquely across the space between the ears and forked tostraddle the edges of the opposed ear of the clip, and a rivet extendingthrough both ears of the clip and the interposed confining tongue andeye of the tug.

JOHN J. GREEDON. lVitnesses:

Gno. W. W001), G. J. COOPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C.

